Wednesday, 13 January 2010

To care for your skin properly you need to know what your
skin type is as then you will be able to use the right kind
of products for your skin type in your skin care regime.

There are basically five different skin types and these are
dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin and
sun damaged skin. So how can you tell which one you have?

First of all you could try washing your face and patting it
dry. Once you have done this take some absorbent tissue
paper and put it on your skin. The results will give an
indication as to what type of skin you have.

Dry Skin

After doing the tissue paper test, if there are no patches
of oil on the tissue and your skin feels dry to the touch
then the chances are your skin type is dry. Dry skin lacks
moisture so can feel tight after you have washed your face
and it may have flaky patches. Fine lines and wrinkles will
show up more readily on dry skin and the skin lacks a
healthy radiant shine.

Oily Skin

If there are patches of oil on the tissue after conducting
the test then the chances are your skin is oily. Oily skin
will feel greasy to the touch and there may be visibly
enlarged pores as well as pimples and blackheads.

Combination/Normal Skin

If the patches on the tissue are limited to the T Zone on
your face, basically if you have an oily forehead, down the
nose area and on the chin but your skin is dry elsewhere
then you probably have combination or normal skin. This is
the most common skin type.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is easy to recognise as it will react quite
readily to different products, substances, foods, drinks or
even the weather. It tends to flush a pink or red colour
quite easily and may come out in blotches or rashes.

Sun Damaged Skin

Sun damaged skin is skin that has a weathered look about
it, there will be visible lines and wrinkles, the skin
feels dry and tough and there may be broken capillaries.

What is the best skin care regime?

At its most basic, any skin care routine involves cleansing
to clean the skin, toning to remove the last traces of
cleanser, dirt and grime from the skin and moisturising to
replace lost moisture and leave your skin feeling soft and
supple. Now you can buy separate products to carry out each
of these functions but if you have a good enough cleanser
then you may cleanse and tone at the same time.

Beauty tips for keeping skin young and healthy

Don't smoke! Smoking is not only detrimental to your health
it also encourages fine lines and wrinkles and dries out
the skin as well as give it an ashen look.

Cut down on alcohol! Too much alcohol on a daily basis can
lead to broken capillaries on the skin around the cheeks
and will dry out the skin. Stick to the recommended limits
in order to keep your skin looking fresh and youthful.

Stay out of the sun! Although we need a certain amount of
sunshine as Vitamin D is produced when the sun's rays hit
our skin, too much sun can lead to wrinkles, sunburn and
increases the chance of developing skin cancer. Wear a
protective sun screen when in the sun for any length of
time. Also don't be fooled into thinking that if the
temperature outside is cooler that the sun won't damage the
skin, it will.

Buy skin care products that contain natural ingredients as
these will give your skin the best possible chance of
staying young and healthy looking

Always remove all traces of make up at night before going
to bed. Your skin needs to breathe and leaving make up on
not only clogs up the skin and prevents it from breathing,
it can also cause the eyes to appear puffy, the skin to
look dull and lifeless.

Make sure you include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables
in your diet in order to get enough of those vitamins that
your skin needs.

Drink plenty of water. Water not only helps to eliminate
toxins it also hydrate the skin and promote radiant healthy
looking skin.

Include fish oil supplements in the diet! Fish oil
supplements that contain high amounts of Eicosapentaenoic
acid or EPA will help to nourish and feed your skin from
the inside. Many people today are deficient in Omega 3
fatty acids and one of the first signs of an Omega 3
deficiency is indeed poor skin. EPA is anti inflammatory
and helps the blood to flow more easily throughout the body
brining all those essential nutrients right to the skin.

About the Author:

For more information about fish oil and how it can help
your hair, skin and nails come and visit.
http://www.mind1st.co.uk